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Nonprofiteer
← BACKYARD GROWERS INC

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by BACKYARD GROWERS INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$557,116
Total expenses
$621,444
Contributions and grants received
$537,888
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$11,046
Investment income
$154
Other revenue
$8,028
Total assets, end of year
$199,553
Total liabilities, end of year
$28,346
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$171,207
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$425,268
Management and general expenses
$60,659
Fundraising expenses
$135,517
Program service expenses (Part III)
$425,268

Program services were 68.4% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1c · Fundraising events

    $17,814

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $520,074

  • 2a · Program service revenue: PROGRAM SERVICE REVENU

    total $11,046 · related or exempt $11,046

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $154 · excluded $154

  • 8a · Fundraising events: gross income

    $12,375

  • 8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c

    $17,814

  • 8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

    $4,347

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $8,028 · excluded $8,028

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $88,884 · program services $44,442 · management and general $22,221 · fundraising $22,221

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $371,944 · program services $287,045 · fundraising $84,899

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $52,742 · program services $37,450 · management and general $5,757 · fundraising $9,535

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $23,386 · program services $6,770 · management and general $16,616

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $11,960 · program services $6,380 · management and general $3,201 · fundraising $2,379

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $4,713 · program services $2,932 · management and general $826 · fundraising $955

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $22,049 · program services $16,170 · management and general $612 · fundraising $5,267

  • 17 · Travel

    total $895 · program services $510 · management and general $85 · fundraising $300

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $5,500 · management and general $5,500

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $4,679 · program services $299 · management and general $4,283 · fundraising $97

  • 24a · Other expenses: PROGRAM MATERIALS & SUP

    total $20,553 · program services $20,553

  • 24b · Other expenses: FUNDRAISING RELATED COS

    total $9,743 · fundraising $9,743

  • 24c · Other expenses: OUTREACH

    total $3,698 · program services $2,019 · management and general $1,558 · fundraising $121

  • 24d · Other expenses: PROGRAM VEHICLE EXPENSE

    total $698 · program services $698

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $218,449 · end of year $132,922

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $3,500 · end of year $7,267

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $14,812 · end of year $40,968

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $2,432 · end of year $2,896

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $30,000

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $14,500

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $21,000 · end of year $15,500

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $24,658 · end of year $28,346

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $229,935 · end of year $145,982

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $5,600 · end of year $25,225

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

BACKYARD GROWERS STRIVES TO BUILD HEALTHY, CONNECTED, RESILIENT COMMUNITIES. WE DO SO THROUGH OUR ROBUST SCHOOL PROGRAMMING WHERE WE OPERATE SCHOOL GARDENS, GARDEN PROGRAMS AND TASTE TESTS AT GLOUCESTER'S 5 PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THE PUBLIC PRESCHOOL AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. WE ALSO OPERATE SIX COMMUNITY GARDENS IN GLOUCESTER AND THIS PAST YEAR WE LAUNCHED A COMMUNITY-BASED FARMERS MARKET IN DOWNTOWN GLOUCESTER. WE OFFER A YEAR-ROUND CALENDAR OF WORKSHOPS OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS FOOD ACCESS PROGRAMS THROUGH OUR FARMERS MARKET.

  • BACKYARD GROWERS' SCHOOL GARDEN PROGRAM SERVES ALL SEVEN GLOUCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PATHWAYS FOR CHILDREN, REACHING 100% OF PRE-K THROUGH 8TH GRADE ALONGSIDE GLOUCESTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. EACH YEAR STUDENTS HAVE HABIT-BUILDING EXPERIENCES OF GROWING, HARVESTING AND EATING VEGETABLES THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE AIM OF CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN TO TRY DIFFERENT FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN FOODS AND RAISING A NEW GENERATION OF STUDENTS ENGAGED IN THEIR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM. OUR COMMUNITY, BACKYARD GARDEN, AND GROWBAG GARDEN PROGRAMS SERVE OVER 400 CAPE ANN RESIDENTS EACH YEAR, INCREASING ACCESS TO FRESH, CULTURALLY MEANINGFUL FOOD FOR LOW- TO MODERATE-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, SENIORS, CHILDREN, AND IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE FAMILIES BY EMPOWERING THEM TO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD. IN JUNE 2024, BACKYARD GROWERS WILL HOST A PLACE-BASED FARMER'S MARKET, CALLED THE BACKYARD GROWCERY, DEDICATED TO CREATING A PLATFORM FOR FOOD ACCESS AND COMMUNITY FOOD-GROWING EDUCATION, WHILE OPERATING IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL FARMS AND SMALL FOOD BUSINESSES TO BUILD A STRONGER FOOD SYSTEM, CELEBRATE COMMUNITY AND FOOD CULTURE IN GLOUCESTER.

    Expenses $425,268 · Revenue $11,046

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • PAUL ROMARY

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • JEN ZOLA

    BOARD MEMBER (LEFT 02/2024)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • SUZANNE CLERKIN

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • MOLLY OLDFIELD

    BOARD MEMBER (AS OF 08/2023)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • ALEXIS HARWOOD

    BOARD MEMBER (LEFT 09/2023)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • JENNIFER PERRY

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • ALLISON MUELLER

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • SHARON LAWLER

    TREASURER (AS OF 06/2024)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • KRISTIN BARR

    TREASURER (LEFT 04/2024)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • KAREN TAGGART

    CLERK

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • ALISON WOITUNSKI DIFIORE

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $87,746
    From this org
    $87,746
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
16 April 2025
IRS schema version
2023v6.0
Source object
202501069349301580

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